Mezolas and Nox walked (and floated) side by side while discussing nonchalantly about the past and present. Olivia wasn’t able to understand much of their conversation, but she did understand that Nox had the appearance of a youth but was nearly a century old. He was human, that was for sure. How did he manage to keep his youth? It was probably a magician’s dark secret.

Nox opened the orange door that led to his shop. “Welcome to my little home! Don’t mind the hanging cloth and beads. I had Maya decorate the place and make it look more… magical. Customers always expect our rooms to look like this if we’re not in a dark cave! I blame those tarot card fortune tellers. Their fancy pillows and embroidered cloth! But enough about interior decorations. Have a seat! I’ll have Maya prepare some tea. Maya!” Nox went to the other room to find this person called Maya.

Olivia sat patiently on a comfortable pillow. She was a little stiff, being in unknown territory. On the other hand, Mezolas floated around the room like he owned the place and poked the decorations curiously. She could hear him utter some comments about how gay the curtains were.

Maya, the veiled lady from earlier, entered the room carrying a tray of freshly brewed saffron tea and served it on the table. She seemed rather unsurprised that Olivia was in the room as a guest. Nox sat in front of Olivia and poured himself a cup.

“I didn’t expect you to live with someone. You’ve always been moving about alone,” Mezolas brought it up when Maya left the room.

“Maya is my apprentice. Her talent for magic is like an unpolished diamond. I felt it would have been a waste if no magician took her in to hone her abilities. She will make a fine successor.” Nox drank some of his tea. “So tell me, Mezolas, why have you returned? I’m sure you’re not here on vacation.”

“History repeats itself. I came to stop it,” replied Mezolas.

“I assume the Hand of the Dark Order is back as well?”

“I’m afraid so.”

“I hate that bunch. Please give them a good kicking.”

“Excuse me,” Olivia interrupted.

“Yes, please go on, Miss Olivia.”

“A friend of mine was cursed and I was wondering if you have any information about the client.” Olivia passed Nox the photograph of Adrian from the curse jar. “The jar contained a black feather, a snake head, a rolled paper, and this photograph. Someone identified it as your style of marking people for death.”

Nox simply laughed. “No, no. That is not my style. It was probably someone trying to copy my style, but made it his own. If it were me, I would’ve driven nails into the snake head and replaced the black feather with rotting dates. The ancient spirits love rotten dates. Not everybody knows that, so don’t tell any other witch doctor that. Trade secret.”

“Is that what you used to kill the corrupt judge that one time?” asked Mezolas.

“Yes. That’s what I used. I had to give him a good death. I added extra dates to that one.”

They both laughed merrily. Olivia was trying to get used to their strange friendship.

Suddenly, Nox’s voice turned serious. “Miss Olivia, if you wish to find the one who wanted to curse your friend, whoever made that offering isn’t from this alley. I know all the witch doctors in this alley. I know their methods. I know their ingredients. I knew their great grandparents too.” He and Mezolas started laughing again. “Yes. I am very old. But why am I still alive? Trade secret.”

“So who could’ve done this?” Olivia asked.

“Someone who probably wants your friend dead and wanted to make it hard to trace which witch doctor he went to. You might have to look in the forests or the little villages. The cute looking ones. That’s where witches love to hide. No one ever expects them there!” He laughed. Mezolas chuckled along with him. “In the meantime, tell your friend to watch out for enemies. Not the far enemies. No. The near ones. Ok?”

“The wise enemies stay in close proximity, ready to strike when the fruit is ripe,” Mezolas added.

“Well said, my friend. When you find that witch doctor, Miss Olivia, tell him that Nox knows. And do a scary or serious face when you say it… just to scare him.” Nox did a thumbs up and a wink. “You can also say something like ‘Nox is coming for you’ or ‘Nox will find you’… just to scare him some more. When you’re done, you can come back here and describe to me what his face was like when you said that. Ok?”

“Umm… ok.” Olivia agreed reluctantly.

Nox turned his head. “Maya! Some biscuits please.”

Maya entered the room with a platter of biscuits and jam. She carefully served it on the table beside the tea and left the room again.

“One more thing, Miss Olivia…” Nox held up the photograph of Adrian Icarus and waved it around. “When you want to destroy curses, be sure to destroy everything in the jar.” He threw the photo into the flames of the nearby brazier.

Olivia watched as the flames slowly ate up the photograph and turned it into mere ash. The sight of it was mesmerizing, but at the same time gave an uneasy feeling.